William mason



[No Model.)

W. MASON. BREEOH LOADING GUN.

Patented Dec. 26, 1893.

UNETED STATES PATENT @rrros.

WILLIAM MASON, 0F NElV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE lVINCI-IESTER REPEATING ARMS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BREECH-LOADING GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 511,632, dated December 26, 1893.

Application filed M y 4, 1893- erial No. 472,947. (No model.)

To 60% whom it may concern:

Be itknown thatI, WILLIAM MASON, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, haveinvented a newImprovement in Breech-Loading Firearms, (Case 0;) and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanyingdrawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Eigure 1, a broken view partly in side elevatlon and partly in longitudinal section of a gun constructed in accordance with my invention, and shown with its breech-block closed; Fig. 2, a similar plan view of the gun; Fig. 3, a view corresponding to Fig. 1, though less comprehensive, and showing the breechblock open; Fig. 4:, a View of the gun in transverse section on the line ab of Fig. 1.

My invention relates to an improvement in breech-loading fire-arms of the single-shot rifle type, the object being to produce at a low cost of manufacture, a simple, convenlent, and safe arm, having few parts, and not liable to derangement.

\Vith these ends in view, my invention consists in the combination in a breech-loading fire-arm, with the barrel thereof, of a rigid combined part comprising a breech-block and a trigger, the said breech-block having sliding interlocking movement on the butt end of the barrel, which is thereto adapted, and provided with a finger-piece by which it is depressed, a hammer pivoted to the said part, moving up and down therewith, and having an inwardly projecting operating finger formed at its lower end, a main springcombined with the said part for actuating it in 1ts upward movement, and an abutment for engagement by the said finger of the hammer, whereby the same is operated when the said part makes its up stroke.

My invention further consists in certain details of construction and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a gun having a barrel A, a stock B, constructed with avertical transverse chamber B extending from its upper to its lower edge, and a guard C, extended at its respective ends to be secured by a screw C to the stock, and by a screw C to a block C inserted at its upper end in a transverse slot A, formed in the lower face of the barrel, and having undercut ends.

The butt-end of the gun-barrel is constructed with two corresponding grooves a a, lo-

cated opposite each other, and very slightly inclined from the vertical, whereby a coupling head is formed, so to speak, at the buttend of the barrel. I further employ a rigid combined part, comprising a breech-block D, and a trigger E, located in line with each other, the latter being considerably smaller in transverse section than the former. The breech-block is constructed at its upper end with a rearwardly extending finger-piece D, located to one side of its center, and provided for depressing the said combined part to open the breech-block preparatory to charging the gun. The said breech-block is also constructed with a chamber or recess cl, adapting it to fit over the butt-end of the gun barrel, and with two flanges d cl extending toward each other, slightly inclined from the vertical, and

adapted to enter the grooves a Ct formed in the gun barrel. The trigger E, extends downward into the guard through an opening 0, formed in the upper portion thereof, and is constructed with a cock-notch e, which co-acts with a retaining-point 0 formed by suitably shaping the forward end wall of the opening 0, before mentioned. A spiral spring F, encircling the trigger, and interposed between the breech-block and the guard, is provided for actuating the combined part in its up stroke. The breech-block is constructed at its lower end with a narrow slot D extending through it from front to rear, and receiving the hammer G, which is hung on a horizontal pivot G, mounted in the breech-block with which the hammer thus moves up and down. The lower end of the hammer is constructed with an operating finger g, which extends forward beyond the breech-block, and engages with an abutment stud H, depending from the lower face of the butt end of the gun barrel, the said'finger and abutment stud being constructed and arranged so that just as the combined part reaches the limit of its upward movement, the forward upper end or nose of the hammer will be caused to strike the rim of the cartridge in the gun barrel. The said combined part as thus constructed, has reciprocatingmovement in aplane slightly inclined forward from the vertical, being supported and guided in such reciprocation by the bearing of its breech-block upon the gunbarrel, and by the bearing-of its trigger in the guard.

It will be understood that under my improved construction the gun is loaded by first depressing the combined part by means of its finger-piece, and against the force of its spring, the lower end of the part being thrown forward, so that the'cock-notch of its trigger engages with the retaining point of the guard. The gun is now loaded, and then fired by drawing back on the trigger, whereby its cock notch is disengaged from the said retaining point, at which time the main-spring will shoot the combined part upward, whereby the breech-block will slide over, embrace and interlock with the butt end of the barrel. Then just about as the breech-block reaches its closed position, the hammer is swung around with sufficient force by the coaction of its operating finger with the abutment-stud, to strike the rim of the cartridge, and explode the same.

I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction herein shown and described, but hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v 1. In a breech-loading fire-arm, the combination with the barrel thereof, of a rigid combined part comprising a breech-block and a trigger, the said breech-block having sliding interlocking movement on the butt-end ot the barrel, which is thereto adapted, and provided with a finger-piece by which it is depressed, a hammer pivoted to the said part, moving up and down therewith, and having an inwardly projecting operating finger formed at its lower end, a main-spring combined with the said part for actuating it in its upward movement, and an abutment for engagement by the said finger of the hammer, whereby the same is operated when the said part makes its up stroke, substantially as described.

2. In a breech-loading fire-arm, the combination with the barrel thereof, of a rigid combined part comprising a breech-block and a trigger, the said breech-block having sliding interlocking movement on the butt-end-of the barrel which is adapted thereto, and provided with a finger-piece by which it is depressed, a hammer pivoted Within a slot formed in the said breech-block, moving up and down therewith, and having an inwardly projecting operating-finger formed at its lower end, a spring combined with the said part for actuating it in its up stroke, and an abutment stud depending from the butt end of the barrel, and arranged to be engaged by the finger of the hammer, whereby the same is turned on its pivot to fire the cartridge, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. V V.

WILLIAM MASON. Witnesses:

FRED C. EARLE, GEO. D. SEYMOUR. 

